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1,439 owners have filed defect reports on this one. That's not a small number. 1 active recall campaign on file.
Average for the segment. Some recurring trouble spots worth knowing about.
The data says walk unless this exact vehicle has documented proof the brakes was repaired or replaced.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
The headlamp of prius 2006 intermittently goes off while driving. The problem goes away if the car is completely shut off and then restarted. Many others are reporting the same problem with prius and replacement of headlight does not rectify the problem. The problem is creating…
2006 prius HID headlights and taillights failed. The lights quality is very bad. We were forced to stop by the policeman. It was very dangerous on highway. Toyota is losing its reputation. The company should pay all the price for changing the bulbs. (labor + bulbs) our 2002…
I have a 2006 prius with the HID headlights and want to confirm that both bulbs have failed. The dealer agreed to replace them under warranty even though I have 47000 miles on the vehicle. I did complain about this a year ago and the dealer did nothing at that time. This…
I have the same problem as many, many other prius owners, with my 2006 prius's HID lights going out while driving. When I realize that one or both lights have gone out, I flip the headlight switch and they come back on, only to go out again within seconds! Toyota says this is a…
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
This could result in a loss of steering control of the vehicle.
It's got known weak points. With a reliability score of 6.6 out of 10 based on 1,439 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2006 Toyota Prius has a higher-than-average rate of reported issues. The areas to watch are listed above. Whether it's worth owning depends on price, condition, and how much repair exposure you can absorb.
On the NHTSA data, the 2006 Toyota Prius is one to avoid unless a specific vehicle proves otherwise. The data says walk unless this exact vehicle has documented proof the brakes was repaired or replaced. The record behind that call: 1 fatality report and 1 fire-related complaint on the brakes; Cruise-control: 59 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 25,000–73,000 mi; Reliability score 6.6/10 — around the segment average; 1 recall campaign on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is lighting, with 866 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 55,972 miles. Average repair cost runs about $250 at an independent shop.
The brakes is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $450 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 83,468 miles. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 1,439 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $450, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.